McKay's Day
by gawilliams
Summary: McKay gets his turn at dealing with a 'Day'. Sequel to Sheppard's Day.
1. Chapter 1

McKay's Day

_I hope this works. I wanted to present McKay in a couple of different lights. First is his egocentric attitude, which I think is an integral part of the character. The second is a deeper, more thoughtful and caring McKay, which I have put forth in a couple of other stand alone stories. As a result you have some sections of this reading very rapidly in tone since I am capturing the frenetic, egocentric mind at work, and then you have sections where it is easy and thoughtful where he calms down and has some deep thoughts and issues. Hope you enjoy it. Chapter 2 should be posted in a couple of days._

Disclaimer: I don't own or have a share in the profits from these characters or the franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_**0400 Hours, Quarters of Dr. Rodney McKay, City of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy**_

Rodney McKay was bouncing off the walls. This was going to be an absolutely awesome day! First he was going to get to once again show that he was the most brilliant scientist of them all. Radek had once again screwed up, as Rodney had known he would, and had called in the go to man for the save. Then Sam had told him to report to her on his amazing new discovery of a method to produce ZPM's of their own right here on Atlantis. Now that was sure to cement his reputation! The rest of the morning was going to be spent with General Jack O'Neill fishing. Major score! The man actually liked him! Not that Rodney could imagine why he wouldn't, but for some reason O'Neill had always seemed a bit angry whenever Rodney would come to the SGC. Oh well, the man liked him now and was actually becoming a regular fishing partner. The rest of the day after that would take care of itself.

Now, though, he was hungry. Jennifer had stopped by the night before and muttered something about 'performance anxiety', then had proceeded to seduce him! Oh my God! That was awesome! She had even called him her little energizer bunny! Wait a minute. Was that an insult? Was she attacking 'The Rocket?' No! She couldn't be! If she was then why would she have come on to him like she did? Four times! But that much hot sex was draining! Had he ever been this hungry? He couldn't remember. Oh well, that wasn't important. What was was getting some food in his stomach. He rummaged around his massive footlocker which he kept his snacks in and pulled out a few energy bars and some fudge bars. That should tide him over until his pre-breakfast snack of three chocolate bars. Being a Love God was tough work! Maybe Jennifer would be interested in a little get together before lunch? They were serving meatloaf and he loved that. If he worked up enough hunger he could gorge for a while and have the perfect excuse to eat more than the usual allotment. That would work. He made a mental note to let Jennifer know that the energizer bunny was ready for action soon. Little, huh? Maybe he should suggest she get an eye exam. 'The Rocket' was definitely not little!

Let's see. Tablet? Check. Snack bag? Check and double check. Priorities had to be maintained, after all. Mouthwash and deodorant to prepare for rendezvous with Jennifer? Check. There was no way she could say no. Not with 'The Rocket' ready and waiting for her. She had her priorities straight, too, thank God! Three condoms since he had a good twenty minutes with her? Check. Hmm. Maybe he should add a fourth one. Twenty minutes sure was a long time, after all. Nah. He could stretch it out. He wasn't a wimp like Sheppard. The man has a gorgeous woman on the way for God knows what sinful delights and the man falls asleep! The last two days since that had happened had been a major source of payback for Rodney since he could finally give Sheppard shit and John couldn't do anything about it! Perhaps a sympathy card for his friend letting him know that there were always little blue pills to help deal with his problem? Definitely!

Okay, where were we? Oh yeah. The rest of his supplies. Clean t-shirt and underwear? Check. He needed to be fresh and clean for when Jennifer arrived. And last, but not least, his communications ear piece. Putting that firmly in place, he walked out the door. Life was great! This day was going to be great!

_**0745 Hours, Dr. Rodney McKay's Lab, City of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy**_

Now this was not going as Rodney had planned. Radek, of course, had needed all the help he could get. That was no surprise. But then his meeting with Sam had been a disaster! She didn't want to bask in his brilliance at all. Instead she ripped him a new one! As if he would actually offer a lot of food to the General when they were fishing. He knew the man was on a diet. But a little snack surely couldn't hurt anyone, could it? Nah. But Sam was convinced he was going to kill the General anyway and had ripped him to shreds. Now this was a dilemma. The General was expecting some food and let it be known that these snacks were real lifesavers. How could Rodney argue with that? He was saving a life here, wasn't he? But Sam, on the other hand had warned him that he would be spending time in combat training with Ronon if he didn't shape up. Fuck! Either piss off the one person that should not be pissed off under any circumstances, or piss off Sam and spend time recovering from a serious set of ass kickings from Ronon. Sighing, he knew what he had to do and he packed his cooler with all sorts of goodies.

But that wasn't all. He'd called Jennifer and let her know that 'The Rocket' was interested in a little mid day frolic and she'd actually said she was too busy for anything like that. Maybe tonight? No. Girl's night had been planned and organized for her, Sam, Vala, and Teyla at her place. Well this just sucked! It seemed that he would have to take care of 'The Rocket' himself. God, how humiliating! O'Neill was old, so he had a good excuse for his lack of sex. Unlike him, Rodney was in his prime and a stud raring to go. He'd die if he didn't get some now that he had it on a fairly regular basis.

"_O'Neill to McKay,_" came General O'Neill's voice after his ear piece clicked.

"McKay here," he answered with a definite mope in his voice.

"_Hurry up and get down here_," O'Neill ordered. "_You're missing out on all the good fishing._"

"I'll be right there," Rodney said instantly, then clicked off the comm. He hurried into his fishing outfit and grabbed his pole. Then he put the cooler on a cart and wheeled it ahead of him as he went to the Fishing Balcony. This should help. He could spend time with a friend. Yep. That would make the day go by faster. A morning chilling with General Jack O'Neill and snacking to their hearts content. He just hoped Sam didn't catch them with the goodies he was bringing along. That would not improve his day. It would destroy it.

_**0930 Hours, Fishing Balcony, City of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy**_

Rodney was sitting on the balcony with a sandwich in his hand and his pole in the other. Like it always was when he went fishing with the General it was quiet. He had been amazed that the General enjoyed the peace and quiet that Rodney himself liked when fishing. Of course he knew it had to be for different reasons, but still, it was one more reason he and the General were such good friends now. Rodney used this time fishing to think about Carson and how he had died. Rodney felt bad about not having wanted to go fishing with Carson that day, and the fact that he enjoyed the activity now made him feel even more guilty. He'd never felt like this before in his life, but for the last year he had felt nothing but.

"How do you do it?" he asked General O'Neill. His voice was a bit tight and didn't have any of the frenetic quality it usually had.

Jack turned his head and looked at the other man. Part of the reason he was enjoying fishing with McKay was because the man really got it. The quiet and peace was perfect to deal with the demons that were always there. Whether you caught something or not didn't matter.

"How do I do what?" he asked, trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice. McKay had been a good guy on these outings, so he was willing to grant him a little leeway.

"Get past losing good people," McKay clarified. He hoped the General didn't get upset or offended.

Jack sat in his wheel chair in shock. That was the last question he would have expected. But he also knew what may be prompting it. He'd read the reports from various sources about McKay's reaction to the tragic loss of Dr. Beckett the year before. This was not a subject he ever really felt comfortable with, and he especially didn't want to be talking about grief with this ego-maniac, regardless of how much Jack owed the man after what he did in saving Sam from in that mine a few months back. McKay deserved an answer, though. The question was an honest one.

"I don't know if I ever really have, McKay," he replied after what he thought was a reasonable amount of time thinking of how best to reply. "I guess part of how I deal with it is the fact that I know that when it comes to the kind of work I do, good people die at times. It's inevitable. The question for me is, did they die with honor."

"Carson did," McKay offered.

"Yes, he did," Jack agreed. Damn. This was definitely messing up his fishing this morning, but McKay obviously wanted someone to talk to about this.

"I miss him," Rodney admitted. He'd almost never in his life admitted to needing anyone, but he needed his friend who was no longer around. It was like an open wound and his guilt was preventing it from healing at all. He had Sheppard, Ronon, and Teyla of course, but it wasn't the same. They were teammates and family. Carson had been a real buddy. That was different somehow, at least to Rodney.

"The good ones are always missed," Jack replied, thinking of Kowalski and a number of others he had commanded over the years who had been friends and had died in the line of duty. He was also thinking of Charlie and how the pain of his son's loss had dulled, but never healed. He looked over at McKay and chuckled. "I think you're doing pretty good as it is, McKay," he told the younger man who he still couldn't stand for any serious length of time.

"Really?" Rodney asked, surprised at the comment. He thought he was being some kind of wimp or something.

"Better than I've ever done," Jack told him. "You're at least willing to talk about it. I rarely am."

"I..." Rodney started, then stopped. He decided to forge ahead, though. For some reason the General's simple comments which ran the space of a couple of minutes had actually helped. "I'd be willing to listen," he offered.

Jack looked at McKay in wonder. The ego-maniac was really surprising him this morning. He thought about the offer and looked carefully for any signs of bullshit on McKay's part and found none. Then Jack put down his fishing pole. "Hand me a sandwich and a beer, McKay," he ordered in a halfway pleasant tone. "And if you let on to anyone what I'm about to say, I'll rip your nuts off and make you a permanent eunuch."

Rodney gulped as he took out the asked for items and handed them over. He was definitely going to keep his mouth shut! There was no way he was going to let any harm come to 'The Rocket' and 'The Boys.' He was also smart enough to know that the General had paid him a huge compliment by deciding to talk with him about some of his demons. Rodney was beginning to think that these mornings when he left his ego at the door were very worthwhile. Maybe he could convince Sam to let him have more than two mornings a week off? He was after all a genius. Half a day of his brilliance equaled two or three days from the mental midgets he was surrounded by. Now if only he could convince Jennifer to pay a visit to 'The Rocket' before the Girls Night began. He'd have to think about how best to approach her. For now, though, he sat back, grabbed his pole, and listened to Jack as the older man began talking about his son.


	2. Chapter 2

McKay's Day

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own or have a share in the profits from these characters or the franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

_**1300 Hours, Dr. Rodney McKay's Lab, City of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy**_

__Now this is the way the day is supposed to go. A message of encouragement from the IOA to make progress on the ZPM matter. Yes! Rodney knew they had to have someone there who knew what they were doing. Not like that Woolsey character that had been here a few times. Did that idiot actually think anyone would seriously allow him to assume command over Sam and countermand her orders? Hah! Ronon or Sheppard would have beat him to a pulp!

Oh God. Ronon! Sam, naturally, had found him and the General enjoying a small snack of cake after the sandwiches and all hell had broke loose. How unfair can she be?? She only sighed at the General, but she turned to Rodney and started chewing him out again! Rodney tried to explain that he was only saving a life by giving some needed nourishment to the General and that only set her off some more. Hello?? He thought she was in love with the guy and here she is going off on a person who was helping him? That made no sense whatsoever. Now he had to report to Ronon the next morning at 0600 hours for combat training. Maybe he should talk to John and have him convince Sam he didn't need anymore combat training. Four years on the elite team should have proven to anyone what a seasoned battle hardened warrior he was. Shouldn't it?? Rodney thought so. He made a mental note to talk to Sheppard later.

That talk with the General had sure been a hell of an experience. The man had really been through some serious shit. Can you imagine losing your son because the kid shot himself accidentally with your service pistol? Rodney couldn't and he really felt bad for O'Neill. Charlie had sounded like a great kid. Rodney had told Jack about his sister and how it had scared him out of his mind when she went missing a few months back. He'd also opened up a bit about Carson and his own guilt over brushing his friend off the day he had died. The General had let him talk and he actually felt batter. Maybe the old guy wasn't such a hard ass after all.

_Ping._

Now what? He turned his back for one minute and already they can't get along without him? Oh, wait. It was only an e-mail. Rodney checked and smiled. It was from his sister. Opening it, he smiled even further until she wrote that she had solved another particularly troubling group of subset equations in the wormhole computation theory he as working on. Damn! One more reminder that he needed to step up his work on the theory side of his job and make sure no one could out do the go to man. Maybe Sam would be willing to pull him off combat training until he had more work done on his new approach to wormhole physics and Stargate applications? No. He was sure she wouldn't.

"Rodney?"

Yes! Jennifer got his message. Maybe he could talk her into some quick sex before her Girl's Night began. 'The Rocket' was still drooping after finding out about Girl's Night earlier.

"Hey," Rodney said with a grin and strut as he walked over to her.

Jennifer smiled in amusement. She was infatuated with Rodney and she enjoyed his cockiness. She imagined that part of her interest was based in part on his having saved her life in that Genii mine, but he had some good qualities, his massive ego aside. When it came right down to it, he cared about people. His insecurities affected peoples opinions of him, but she'd been able to see the genuine Rodney.

"You wanted to see me?" she asked.

"Yes, um, what time is the Girl's Night scheduled to begin?" he asked in return.

Jennifer chuckled. She knew exactly what he was pressing on about. He wanted some more sex after the night he'd had last night. Her little energizer bunny sure was eager.

"What's the matter?" she questioned. "Didn't my little energizer bunny get enough last night to last him more than one day?"

"I'm a guy," Rodney pointed out. "We never get enough. And can we cool it on the 'little' stuff? 'The Rocket' is not little."

Jen raised a brow. Yes it was, but that had never bothered her too much. Rodney was energetic and enthusiastic, which in her opinion made up for a lot. Now if she could only work on his stamina a bit. Sure they had gone at it four times the night before, but he always finished after only a few minutes. She needed to do a bit of research and see if hyperactivity affected a person's sexual stamina. She thought she remembered reading something about that once in a health journal, but she wasn't sure. It seemed to make sense.

"We're meeting up right after dinner, Rodney," Jennifer told him. "We've got some serious gossiping to catch up on for this week and we don't want to waste any time."

Gossip? Did that mean she was going to be discussing him and the incredible sex she'd received? Or was she going to be using that 'little' comment when referring to him as an 'energizer bunny?' Oh God. He was doomed!

"What are you going to be gossiping about?" he asked, trying to sound calm.

"Sorry, that's classified," she replied.

Now Rodney was _really _worried. Classified meant they were going to be talking about him! He wasn't a genius for nothing. He knew about these things. Now there would three other women who knew all about his incredible love skills. Wait a minute. That wouldn't be so bad. Sam had always been hot for him. Now she would know just what she had missed out on by latching onto that old guy. Granted the man was a hero, but come on. Hero versus Love God? That should have been a no brainer, but obviously she had made the wrong decision. Oh well. Jennifer was hot, too. Maybe he would have to rethink these Girl's Nights.

"So I guess a little rendezvous is out of the question?" he asked in a whiny voice. Hey! He was desperate here. 'The Rocket' needed some real attention, not self love.

Jennifer laughed. "Sorry Rodney," she told him as she patted his arm. She looked at her watch and gasped. "Damn. I need to get back to work. Some of my staff need broke for lunch." She leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Now behave and we'll see about some attention for 'The Rocket' tomorrow."

"Okay," he moped as she walked out of his lab. The he perked up. Lunch! He just had lunch, but all this emotional back and forth was draining. He needed a snack. Smiling widely, he opened his lab cooler and pulled out a massive piece of triple chocolate fudge cake. Now this was the life! Maybe he would have a second piece before getting back to work.


	3. Chapter 3

**1800 Hours, Commissary, City of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy**

Rodney slowly made his way into the commissary and looked around. Please don't let Sam be here with SG-1. No one over there, and no one over there, so he must be safe for the time being. Thank God. Sam sure knows how to ruin a person's perfect mood. Yeah Jennifer not being able to give some attention to 'The Rocket' sure is a downer to the evening, but at least the other women will know what a great lover he is. That makes up for the totally untrue 'little' remarks form earlier.

"McKay," came the tough, gruff voice of Ronon.

Damn! He just knew that he would have to face up to the guy sooner or later, but he was really hoping to avoid hearing about his 'combat training' for a while yet.

"Ronon," McKay acknowledged, trying to avoid the inevitable topic by not mentioning it.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Ronon got right to the point. They were both getting some food.

"No," Rodney admitted morosely.

"It's not that bad, McKay," Ronon gave a rare grin. "I'll take it easy. Five mile run on the mainland for a warm up and then we can work on some hand to hand in the gym."

Five mile run??? Oh shit! What's he trying to do? Kill me???

"Five miles?" he asked in a high pitch. God. He sounded pathetic even to himself.

"In full gear," the Satedan answered him. "Shouldn't be too bad for such an in shape kind of guy like you."

Rodney groaned. He just knew his bragging to Jennifer and Sam on that one mission would come back to haunt him. Now it was. Five miles in full gear? Does Ronon know about his medical condition? He needs constant access to food to keep up his sugar levels. A five mile run with Ronon was sure to screw up his body chemistry. Hand to hand? Ronon could squash him like a bug. There goes any hope of getting some loving from Jennifer tomorrow. He'd be too dead to even appreciate any attention, and 'The Rocket' will definitely be in la la land.

"What time," Rodney asked, clearly resigned to his fate.

"0430 hours," Ronon answered as they got to the team table and sat down.

"That figures," Rodney said with a deep sigh.

"Rodney!" Sheppard said in a loud, and for some unknown reason, a happy voice. Doesn't he know that Rodney was seriously fucked? Obviously not.

"You don't have to sound too happy," McKay grumbled as he took a bite of his steak. He'd asked for and got two steaks, three baked potatoes, some stuffing, four large slices of garlic bread, and a big bowl of pudding. He'd wait and see if he could get any pie for dessert.

"Aww, is the big, bad combat stud down in the dumps about training tomorrow?" Sheppard crowed. He ignored the slightly angry look that Teyla was shooting at him. John knew she did not like making fun of someone's misery, but this was too good an opportunity.

That sounds like a challenge! Rodney was now in full defensive mode. He could not let such an assertion stand for any reason.

"No," he said firmly. "I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow. I can take it."

"Good," Ronon said with an evil gleam. "We can make it a ten mile run and add stick fighting to tomorrow's training session." He didn't dislike McKay, but he wanted the man to think twice before making comments like he did to Sam and Jennifer. He also had to admit to a bit of jealousy. He liked Jennifer, too, but she had chosen McKay. That wasn't McKay's doing from what he could see, but he was still jealous.

"Great," McKay said with a bit of false bravado. He was so screwed. Oh well. At least Jennifer was a doctor and could take care of him. Ooh. That may work. Hot doctor taking care of needy patient? Yes!!!

"Have fun, Rodney," Sheppard said from his side of the table. He was elbowed in the ribs by Teyla and Rodney had to stifle a grin at that one. It wouldn't do to piss off anyone at the moment and have even more torture added to his routine tomorrow.

"I think maybe Rodney could use a partner in his training," Teyla directed a comment at Ronon.

"NO!" John exclaimed sharply, though he knew he was _so_ fucked at that moment.

"It would make things easier," Ronon said with a chuckle and rare smile. He knew just what Teyla was getting at.

"You will join them tomorrow," Teyla told John with a definite 'I will be obeyed' tone and glare. She didn't mind teasing, but John had crossed the line in her opinion. When she was sure he was done protesting, she continued. "Now let us enjoy our dinner. I for one am hungry."

"Now that I can understand," Rodney said eagerly. He could always count on Teyla to have her priorities straight at the important moments.

"You're always hungry, McKay," Ronon snickered.

"Hey," Rodney jumped to the defensive. "I have a medical condition. Can I help it if I need the energy?"

"We know, Rodney," John answered. "We just like giving you shit."

The rest of dinner went fairly smoothly. Rodney liked these times with his team. Granted they got on his nerves at times, and he was sure the reverse was true, but he felt they were family. That was important to him now that he had reconnected with his sister and her family. He was still the most brilliant person around, but he was willing to tone it down a bit with his team. He may need their help one day, after all. They'd also shown how loyal they were when his alternate reality self had been on Atlantis and they had let him know after the guy had left that they preferred the Rodney McKay of this reality more.

**2200 Hours, Rodney McKay's Lab, City of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy**

Rodney was busy working on his ZPM idea when he was interrupted by the last people he wanted to see right then. General O'Neill, Sheppard, and Daniel Jackson. Damn! He was just about to call it a night and get some much needed rest in preparation for the torture that was sure to be meted out the next morning. He'd also added another chapter to his scientific memoirs that he was constantly updating since a total genius like him always had something to add to such a priceless addition to history.

"McKay!" General O'Neill snapped out in his commanding general's voice.

"What?" McKay said frantically as he looked around to make sure that nothing was out of place or messed up. O'Neill was here on an inspection assignment, after all.

"We need your help," Daniel said, taking over for Jack.

"With what?" the nervous scientist asked.

John placed an arm around Rodney's shoulders and leaned in. "We need you to hack into the security monitors to General Carter's quarters so we can listen in on what's being said."

"What?!?!?!" Rodney exclaimed. He could see any hopes of living past the next day vanishing very quickly, and that was only if it was Sam who found out. If Jennifer found out, it would be worse. The Rocket would never get any again, if the Rocket was allowed to survive the inevitable onslaught and maiming.

"They've been in there gossiping for three hours now," Sheppard explained. "Now what could possibly hold their attention for that long?"

"How should I know? I'm not a girl," Rodney huffed. He wasn't about to admit to the whole 'if you had to choose who would it be' game when he, Sam, and Jennifer were in that Genii mine. That was not manly at all.

"Think, McKay," O'Neill spat, clearly frustrated. "They're talking about us. That's the only explanation."

"Why?" Rodney asked.

"Are you really that clueless?" Sheppard asked with an incredulous look on his face.

Daniel decided to intervene, though he shared John's surprise. "Consider the diet, exercise, and all that has happened to us since we arrived," he began. "Also consider how after each of these 'Girl's Nights' there seems to be something added to the whole business. Does it make sense now?"

"I guess," McKay sighed. He knew this wasn't going to end well, so he may as well just get on with it. He turned to the computer and started opening some ports to the main security centers. It took only a few minutes before he was able to produce a real time feed from Sam's quarters. He pulled out some ear pieces and handed them to the others, but didn't take one for himself. "You can listen in with these," he told them. "The program gives you ten minutes and then shuts off."

"Aren't you curious?" Jack asked.

"I'm in enough trouble as it is," Rodney sighed morosely as he thought of the combat training the next day. He stood and gathered his things. The lab locked itself when it was empty, so he wasn't worried, and he had shut down his work computers as he was creating the feed. "I'm going to bed after a small snack."

"Night, McKay," they chorused without looking back as they peered anxiously at the screen.

"Yeah, right," McKay muttered as he walked out of his lab, knowing that something would go wrong. It always did in cases like this.

**2330 Hours, Quarters of Rodney McKay, City of Atlantis, Pegasus Galaxy**

Rodney was just getting into bed when it happened. He'd had his snack of a couple of sandwiches, some candy bars, and a bowl of chips washed down with some soda. Then he'd wrote a quick letter to his sister before getting ready for bed. He had just pulled the covers up when he heard the unmistakable sound of a transport beam and then the white light on his bedside table. He ordered the lights on and looked to see what had been beamed into his quarters. He groaned when he recognized it. A tube of lubricant and a box of tissues! Then he saw the note next to them. He picked it up and opened it.

"_It seems my Little Energizer Bunny has been a bad little boy this evening. I guess The Rocket will be flying solo for a while until this dies down. Here are some supplies to make the flights a bit easier. Sorry, Rodney, but Rule Number One in this relationship is never, never, interfere with Girl's Night. The General, Daniel, and Sheppard are getting their punishments meted out right now. Now get some sleep and I'll see you after your training session with Ronon. Don't worry. I have all my needles ready to give you a thorough exam when you get back. Love, Jennifer."_

Great! That's just fucking great. He has a horrible day and was facing a disastrous day the next day, and now he and the Rocket were on solo duty for the time being. Self-love was definitely over rated in his opinion, and he was confident that The Rocket was in complete agreement with that view. What was the point of being a Love God when there was nothing to love? He would have to worry about this the tomorrow, though. He was in desperate need of some sleep. Laying back down, he closed his eyes and tried not to think of what he could be doing right at this moment. Instead, he dreamed about what sort of hell the General, Sheppard, and Daniel were facing. It brought a smile to his sleepy face. Yep. If he went down, at least the others were joining him. Now if he could only convince Ronon to go easy on him. He fell asleep before he could complete that exercise in futility.

Unbeknownst to him, four women were watching on a special security screen in Sam's quarters laughing at the expression on Rodney's face as he saw what was left and read the note. Mission accomplished.


End file.
